As Time Goes By
by recchinon
Summary: They were going out in high school but it didn't work. They meet again two years later. Something's changed, some not. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Tittle: As Time Goes By**

**Universe: Semi-AU**

**Rating: T**

**Genre: Semi-Highschool Romance**

**Summary: **They were going out in high school but it didn't work. They meet again two years later. Something's changed, some not.

**1.**

There had been things I wished I could say. There had been things I wish I had done. I realized I had been too naïve and too stupid to realize it until now, but I'd been changed. If only I had a chance to come back to that time… I'd been changed and now I wouldn't do the same mistake. If now, I thought I would be able to say it properly.

Maybe it hadn't been love, but if it had been given a chance it would be love.

No, it must have been love.

It was just an old story, but still I wished it hadn't ended like that.

* * *

"Inoue?"

My jaw dropped when I saw her there. She looked at me, looked just as surprised as I did. We looked at each other disbelievingly. She sat there with our other former classmates in high school, while I stood there next to the table—still couldn't believe at what I saw.

"Kurosaki-kun."

Okay, she looked a little different but it didn't matter, she still looked good just like the last time I saw her. I could hear some of my friends snickering at my reaction. Okay, maybe I looked like an idiot right now but no one could blame me, I didn't expect her to be there! Nobody had told me that they would invite her.

Wait, Ishida did tell me that Tatsuki would come. I should have known that it automatically meant that she would be there as well.

"Ichigo, you're late." Tatsuki who sat next to Inoue rolled her eyes. I could see that she tried to hide her grin. She must think it was interesting to see my reaction right now.

"C'mon, sit here!" Keigo patted an empty space on his left side.

Inoue smiled at me and nodded her head to greet me. I nodded back as I walked to Keigo side. She hadn't changed much. The way she smiled, her big eyes… they still had the same effect to me just like before.

It had been two years since our high school graduation.

Back then, Inoue and I were going out. That was the first time for both of us. We both had been inexperienced. We hadn't known what to do. It had been awkward and embarrassing, just by walking side by side with her on our way home after school had been enough to give me heart attack. We had walked side by side but I never touched her hand. There had been always some empty air between us.

* * *

"Let's go to Semegawa river bank!"

It was the stupid Keigo's idea. We all walked to the river while caught up with each other. It had been quite some time since the last time we met each other and talked properly. For me, I hadn't talked to her at all since that day…

Somebody must have planned this.

Just when we arrived at the river's bank somehow everybody had been busy with each other but me and Inoue. She sat alone facing the river and I sat right beside her with some space between us. This was my safe zone. I had never been closed than this with her. Somehow, I felt safer this way—not to get too close.

"It has been so long since the last time we see each other, right Kurosaki-kun?"

I was startled when I heard her voice. I didn't expect her to talk to me. I thought she hated me or something like that. I looked at her but she smiled at me, she didn't look like he had some grudge to me. It was still the same smile I used to know.

"Ah, yeah…" I rubbed the back of my neck, "It had been two years right?"

She nodded.

"You've become more beautiful now."

I didn't know what had made me said that but her reaction surprised me.

She laughed.

"Eh, w-why?" I knew it might sound so lame but I didn't think she had to laugh at me.

Inoue grinned ear to ear, "Are you really Kurosaki-kun?" She laughed a little, "The old Kurosaki-kun wouldn't say something like that. It sounds so flirty…"

I laughed nervously. I didn't expect this kind of reaction from her. Had Inoue I knew used to laugh like this? She laughed so hard and looked at me with a mocking face.

"I'm sorry, I'm just surprised." She smiled teasingly at me, "Kurosaki-kun I knew was just so serious with deep scowl and eyes like this." She used her index finger to pull the corner of her eyes and made a face imitating me, "You were never good with words."

I scowled, I had been changed a lot in these past two years, but I never realized she had that kind of image of me. It was true that I had never been good with word but she should have known, one of the reasons of why I had never been good with word was…

"But you've been changed too." I said mockingly, "You used to be so pure."

She reddened, "Ah, w-what?"

I sighed, pretending to be disappointed, "Time could change someone so drastically…"

"That's not true!" she pouted.

I laughed.

Had it always been like this before?

Now, it was easier to talk to her. I wondered was it me or her who had been changed a lot or maybe we both just had been changed. She laughed so loudly and she looked so happy. Before this, I hardly could see her laugh. Whenever she'd been with me, she looked so troubled and often she would look like she had something to say but she couldn't say it. I thought, she hadn't enjoyed her time with me. Now, it had been different. She looked so cheerful and I just realized how beautiful the sound of her laughter was.

* * *

_"Oi, Ichigo! Orihime is waiting for you in the shoe locker!"_

_I turned to see Tatsuki stood by the classroom door. She was ready for her karate practice after school. I sighed before nodding my head as I continued to put my books into my bag. Me and everyone had to be in different classes in our third year. We hadn't hanged around as much as we used to. I didn't know since when and how it had been started but once a week I would go home with Inoue. _

Whenever Tatsuki couldn't walk her home, when Inoue didn't have to work, that day we would go home together. It had been a habit, she would wait for me in front of the shoe lockers and we would go home together.

_"S-so, today I met Ishida-kun in front of his classroom, and…"_

Inoue had always looked shy when she walked beside me. She would talk about many things, sometime it would be about our friends but on the other time it would be about something unthinkable. Her voice was small and sometime trembling. Her cheeks had always been a little red whenever she laughed at her own story. I hadn't known how to talk or how to response so I would just walk and listen to her.

_"Hey, Ichigo! You're going home with Orihime? How lucky!"_

_Keigo and Mizuiro grinned at us as the jogged toward me and Inoue. Mizuiro as usual had his cellphone in his hand. They greeted Inoue before then turned and grinned at me, oh well Keigo was grinning and Mizuiro just gave me a knowing smile._

_"I saw you two always walking home together lately." Keigo grinned, "Are you two dating?"_

_"Ah… that's…" Inoue's cheeks turned redder than before._

_I growled, I tried not to blush in front of Inoue, "Shut up, idiot!"_

_Mizuiro knew it already but he decided to tease me anyway, "You must be glad to be able to walk such a lovely girl home, right?"_

_I glared at the shorter boy, "Not you too…"_

_"But you like Orihime right?"_

_"E-eh!" Inoue looked surprised at the idiot's question. _

_"It's none of your business!"_

_"Alright, alright…" Keigo smirked annoyingly, "Let's go, Mizuiro, let's leave the lovebirds alone."_

I hadn't said anything when we continued walking that day. She also hadn't talked about anything anymore. We had been walking awkwardly. I tried so hard not to look at her. I didn't want her to know that I had been shy. I liked her. Keigo and Mizuiro—and everyone else—had known it but still I hadn't had the courage to tell her directly. I'd been so nervous whenever someone else brought out the topic. I hadn't been ready for that.

Now if I thought about it, Inoue had actually also felt nervous just like me but she tried so hard to keep talking. She tried to make it less awkward between us. I knew I supposed to do better. I had done my best to talk and to smile, but no matter how hard I'd tried it I could only manage to scowl.

I'd been trying to tell her that I love her.

I tried and I tried.

I had been watching her secretly.

When I'd seen her in the corridor during our lunch break, I could never took my eyes on her. The way she smiled when she was with Tatsuki and her other girl friends, the way she pouted, I loved everything about her. If only I could tell her properly.

I loved her and she loved me, we knew that already, but why had it been so difficult for us—for me—to say it?

When she looked at me I looked away quickly—didn't want her to know that I'd been watching her. Now, if I remembered about that time… I had been so stupid.

I'd been changed now, if only I could turn back time…

But what'd done, done.

I'd been changed and so had she.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Another mini-series inspired by one of the shoujo mangas I bought few weeks ago. This will be 6-7 chapters long. Probably 3 chapters from Ichigo's POV and 3 from Orihime's.

I knew I shouldn't write a new series when I still have few multi-chapters unfinished, but don't blame me, blame the plot bunnies!

Forgive few mistakes here and there, I'm sleepy when I wrote this.

Review?

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Recchinon


	2. Chapter 2

**Tittle: As Time Goes By**

**Universe: Semi-AU**

**Rating: T**

**Genre: Semi-Highschool Romance**

**Summary: **They were going out in high school but it didn't work. They met again two years later. Something changes, some not.

**2.**

I had many things in my head, but I couldn't say it properly.

I had it since long time ago. I kept thinking about it. There were times where I thought it would better if I told her, maybe by sending her a text message. In the end, I would just keep the message in my draft folder together with the other unsent messages. Right now, I was reading those messages once again. I had to admit, I had that cheesy side on me too. Not that I would ever let anyone to see that.

I snickered as I flipped down my phone and rest my back on the grass. Me and my classmate in the university were hanging out together today in a park near our campus. These people are different than my high school friends, maybe they were one of few things that changed me.

"You looked tired Icchigo~"

Nell sat next to me with a big smile on her face. I sighed and sat up.

"How was yesterday? Have fun with your ex-classmates?"

I shrugged, "Well, yeah…"

She laughed, "They must be surprised." She teased me, "You're different now."

I smirked, "Maybe…"

We looked at our other friends who were fishing on the lake. Grimmjow looked bored but he couldn't just quit with no fish bit his bait. Ulquiorra had caught three big fishes and he wouldn't let Grimmjow live it down if he couldn't catch any fish. My friends in high school were kind of weird, so were my new friends in university, but they were different.

"Are you always like this?"

Nell tilted her head, "Like what?"

"Are you always this idiot?"

"Icchiiiigooo! You meaaaanie!" Nell slapped my shoulder.

I laughed as she continued assaulting me. I knew she wasn't really angry but her assault was kind of hurt actually. Though she acted childish, she was kind of strong.

"I will tell Grimmjowh you said meanie things to me…" she huffed.

"I think he will agree with me."

She snorted, "Yeaaaaaah, boyzz are soooo meanieee!"

I smiled at that, "Maybe… But girls changed so fast…"

She turned to see me, her voice sounded excited, "Eh? What? Tell me! Tell me! Icchiiiigoo… You met a girl?"

"Yeah…"

"Aw! Tell me!"

She punched my shoulder and I laughed.

This was the new me. The old me wouldn't laugh like this. The old me wouldn't act like this around the girls. The old me wouldn't be this open to any girl, nah I wouldn't be open to anyone.

If right now, I thought I could say it properly to her. I would be able to explain about everything, no more misunderstandings. If only I had the chance…

I had been changed, but so had been she. If I sent her those messages now, how would she react. The old Inoue maybe would cry, but now…

Would she laugh at it?

"Okay, I knew it. I will never fish anymore. That was so dull and boring. Only old people should do that."

Grimmjow started complaining as we walked out of the convenience store. We left the park thirty minutes ago and now we were just buying some snack at the convenience store before we went to the game centre nearby. Grimmjow was pissed off because he didn't manage to catch any fish. He kept complaining about it.

"Stop it, Grimmjowwh…" Nell laughed as she hugged his arm, "You just envy Ulquiworra becuz he caught some fishezz…"

"Nah…" Grimmjow groaned but he didn't push her away, "And what I don't get it, why would he return the fishes to the lake!"

Ulquiorra drank his canned coffee as we walked, "We don't need the fishes."

I ignored Grimmjow protest and opened my snack. I looked into the carton and groaned. I pulled out a small key chain from the carton, "Not this agaiiiiin!"

"Ah! You got Miku!" Nell left Grimmjow and hurried to my side, she took the keychain from my hand and looked at it, "I always buy that snack too you knowh, becuz of the bonuz! I collect the bonuzzz!" she told me with pleading eyes, "I don't have Miku yet, Icchigoh… Thiz ish for me, okay?"

"No way!" I took it back from her.

"But you have Miku arready!"

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt to have two, right!"

"Meanie!"

I was about to replied her when I saw a familiar auburn head passing by among the crowd. I knew it right away, not only because of the rare hair color—I just knew it. Before my brain could think about it, my mouth had opened and called her name.

"Inoue!"

She stopped and looked at me.

Before I realized, I had run to her.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

I didn't know what to do or what to say. This was too sudden but I had no choice, I had called her anyway so I had to say something. I was not like two years ago anyway, I shouldn't be nervous. So I laughed and tried to look casual though my heart was pounding so hard.

"Where are you going, alone?"

She smiled, "I'm going home. I'm going to take the bus. What are you doing here, Kurosaki-kun?"

"I'm with my friends," I pointed at my friends with my thumb, "Ah, I'm going home too!" Again, I said something without thinking about it first, "I parked my bike around here, would you let me take you home?"

She looked confused and speechless for a moment but I wouldn't let her to have a chance to say no.

I turned and wave my hand to my friends, "Hey, I go home first! See you tomorrow!"

* * *

"Is it okay with your friends?"

Inoue stood behind me with her hands both on my shoulders as we ride home. It had been dark out here and the weather had been colder but I tried to ride my bike slower without her recognize it. I just need more time to be with her.

"Nah, it's okay…" I said truthfully, "They wouldn't care anyway."

"They're your friends in campus?"

"Yeah, we've gone fishing today."

Inoue laughed, "Kurosaki-kun? Fishing? I don't know about that…"

"I didn't." I laughed too. I wished I could see her face right now. I loved both her smiling and laughing face, "I just sat down and wait for them. I would scare the fishes if I got too near."

"Ah… You'd scare them with your scowl."

"I would." I agreed, "My scowl is scary, huh? I don't do it that much lately though…"

"Ah, I think your scowl is cute."

I laughed, "Oh, c'mon."

She giggled. I liked the feeling of her hands on my shoulder. She was so near to me right now. When was the last time we'd been this close? Never. I didn't think we had ever been this close before. Not even two years ago when we were still together. It was so nice, to be this close with Inoue.

"It's kind of weird."

"Huh?"

"To be able to talk like this with Kurosaki-kun."

"Ah…" I agreed, "We couldn't chat properly back then, huh?"

"Well, it was because whenever I tried to talk with you, you'd look angry." She giggled, "I was really nervous."

"What?" I frowned, "I wasn't angry!"

"At that time, I thought you were angry." She said it lightly, "You remember? When Asano-kun and Kojima-kun teased us that day, your face became so stern and you scolded them."

I was surprised when I heard that, "I was shy at that time!"

Inoue giggled, "I know. I understand it now." I couldn't see her face right now but I could imagine her smile, "But I thought like that at that time."

I didn't say anything. I scolded myself mentally. I had been so stupid back then. I had made big mistake. I couldn't blame anyone but myself that I ruined our relationship at that time.

"You know what," she started again, "I've been worried—always…"

I knew she hadn't finished so I kept my mouth shut and didn't say anything.

I heard her sighed.

"'Does Kurosaki-kun love me?', 'Do I make him bored?', 'Does he hate it to spend his time with me?'" she paused, "There were many other questions. I kept asking those questions to myself." I listened to her with many feelings mixed in my chest, "I tried to ask you but I couldn't."

She laughed.

"I was so cute, wasn't I?"

I laughed together with her, "And you are not now?"

We talked about some other things on our way to her apartment. She sounded different. It was easier to talk with her right now. I tried to be as slow as I could but eventually we arrived in front of her apartment.

"Thank you," she said cheerfully as she hopped off the bike, "You still remember my apartment!"

I smirked smugly, "I'm good ain't I?"

She laughed again. This time I was lucky because I could see her face when she was laughing. Just like what I thought, Inoue's smiling and laughing face was always the best. We might have been changed but her happy face would never stop making me feeling like this—not that I hated this feeling.

"Ah, right!" I remembered about the keychain I got from the snack earlier this evening, "Give me your hand!"

"What?"

"This keychain is for you."

She looked at the keychain, "Vocaloid?"

I rubbed my nose, this was embarrassing actually, "I collected them but I have that character already. You can keep it."

She smiled widely and clasped her hand around the keychain happily, "Thank you! I will treasure it!"

She was beautiful. Even two years wouldn't change it. She was beautiful and I still…

I still…

"Inoue, I…"

"Hmm? What?"

"Ah, forget it."

She gave me a weird look but she didn't ask anything. She waved her hand as I went. I didn't know if she had a feeling about what I wanted to tell her just now. Maybe she knew, maybe she didn't… Maybe I should just say it…

…or not?

Just now, for a moment, I almost told her.

'I _loved _you.'

I didn't say it.

I couldn't.

It sounded like a lie if I told her that after what she told me. There was another reason too, but I couldn't tell her that. I thought I would think about it tonight. I wouldn't be able to sleep again.

It didn't really matter anyway.

I loved to think about it…

…somehow.

* * *

**Author's note:**

^^ You might think this is a sad story, errr actually not. It's just a slice of life story… You know, something light to read and to write. Neway, follow my twitter if you have time, today ichiruki became trending topic and I felt lonely with no Ichihime fans on my twitter XD my twitter is reesika

**Recchinon**


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